Auxiliary power sources, such as electric generators, are commonly used to provide power to selected loads during main or utility power supply interruption or failure. In one common approach, a building, such as a home, office, industrial site, etc., will include a subpanel to which certain loads, which may be critical loads of the building, are connected. Non-critical loads will be connected to a main panel. The subpanel, also referred to as a transfer panel, will be interconnected to the auxiliary power supply and the main power supply by a transfer switch. The transfer switch, which may be manually or automatically operated, is designed to selectively connect the subpanel to either the main power supply or the auxiliary power supply. During normal main power supply operation, main power is supplied to the subpanel and the main panel through the transfer switch and ultimately delivered to the critical and non-critical loads. During interruption of the main power supply, the transfer switch, either manually or automatically, disconnects the subpanel from the main power supply and connects the subpanel to the auxiliary power supply. The power delivered by the auxiliary power supply is then provided to the critical loads connected to the subpanel.
In another common approach, the hardwired main panel-subpanel configuration described above is avoided by a direct connection of a load to the auxiliary power supply. In this situation, it is common for an extension cord to be routed through a window or a garage door and interconnected between the load and the auxiliary power supply. Most auxiliary power supplies are engine driven electric generators and therefore must be located outside the building so that exhaust can be properly vented.
The auxiliary power supply will typically include a pair of outlets to which a load may be connected. To connect more than two loads to the auxiliary power supply, a power strip having a series of sockets must be connected to one of the outlets of the auxiliary power supply. The power cords for the various loads may then be connected to the power strip. While the use of power strips is an effective means to increase the number of loads that can be connected to the auxiliary power supply, a user still must route an extension cord through an open window or door to connect the power strip to the auxiliary power supply. This can be particularly problematic during inclement or extremely hot/cold weather. For example, when the generator is located outdoors, the connections of the extension cords to the power strip are exposed to the elements, which is particularly undesirable in rainy conditions, which is not infrequently the case during utility power interruptions.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an alternative approach for connecting a load to an auxiliary power supply, such as an electric generator. In one embodiment, the invention is in the form of a kit that includes a power inlet box having a socket adapted to receive the power plug of the auxiliary power supply, a power outlet center having a plurality of sockets, each of which is adapted to receive the plug of an electrical load, and electrical connectors adapted to electrically connect the power inlet box and the power outlet center. In one implementation, the power inlet box is mounted to the exterior surface of a wall and the power outlet center is mounted opposite the power inlet box to the interior surface of the wall. In this implementation, the electrical connectors pass through an opening in the wall, which may be formed in a conventional manner, and include a protective conduit or sheath. The invention therefore allows a user to make indoor connections of one or more electrical loads to the auxiliary power supply without the need for extension cords running from the electrical load directly to the auxiliary power supply.
In a further embodiment, the power outlet center includes an illumination device that is powered by the auxiliary power supply to assist a user in locating the several sockets of the outlet center during blackout conditions.
In yet another embodiment, the power outlet center may include status lights or LEDs that signal when the power outlet center is being energized by the auxiliary power supply.
Various other features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.